In The Ides of March, which hits theaters Friday, an up-and-coming press secretary (Ryan Gosling) finds himself involved in a major political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate (George Clooney)'s shot at the presidency.

While some have drawn parallels to the Rielle Hunter scandal that derailed the career of John Edwards, Clooney tells Movie Fanatic in an interview that his character and the story at large were not based on any particular politician.